The Count: Auction Off NFL Overtime Possession

The Saints marched down the field to set up this winning field goal without the Vikings getting the ball in OT.

A team goes 12-4 in the NFL regular season, forces overtime, loses the coin flip and loses the game in OT without ever getting an offensive possession — sparking controversy and a discussion of rule changes. It happened to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night in the NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints, and it happened last year to the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans’s opponent in the Super Bowl. Last January the Colts lost to the Chargers in the wild-card round, 23-17, after San Diego won the toss and brought the ball in for a game-winning touchdown.

In both cases, the dispute centered on determining initial overtime possession by coin flip. That’s always arbitrary, but seems particularly unfair when the team that calls out “heads” or “tails” correctly takes the ball and scores to end the sudden-death extra period and sink its opponent.